


Step by Step

by Sapphoria



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Clack Event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24972691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphoria/pseuds/Sapphoria
Summary: There are five well known and widely accepted love languages.Words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, the giving and receiving of gifts and physical touch.And much to Cloud’s detriment, Zack Fair was a master of all five.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 18
Kudos: 127
Collections: Slice of Clack: July 2020





	Step by Step

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy, everybody!  
> This is my week one Slice of Clack Prompt for Intimacy!  
> I chose "Love Languages" 
> 
> Pardon my grammar and any typos.. 
> 
> Enjoy! :D

There are five well known and widely accepted love languages. 

Words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, the giving and receiving of gifts and physical touch.

And much to Cloud’s detriment, Zack Fair was a master of all five. 

Their relationship had started slow enough. Small praises and words of encouragement on the cadet training floor. Pointers here and there on how to better hold his blade when practicing or how to properly protect his flank. It hadn’t meant anything… Just a really kind first class SOLDIER giving words of advice to an undeserving Infantryman. And who hadn’t heard of Zack Fair? Who would be stupid enough  _ not  _ to take his advice and hang on to every word? Cloud took each word to heart whenever he practiced from then on. It had helped marginally and he hadn’t even noticed the proud smile Zack gave him when he wasn’t looking. 

Then words of advice had developed into one on one sparring matches. Little bouts offered statically whenever Zack had time (which happened suspiciously during his training or free periods). 

_ “I’m a lot better with swords then guns…” the blonde had muttered, embarrassed by the raised eyebrow he received from the SOLDIER when he missed a shot on a target in the distance.  _

_ Zack had only grinned.  _

_ “Oh, yeah? How about you show me.” he’d prodded with a wink and tossed him a dull training sword.  _

_ Cloud couldn’t deny him.  _

From little sparring sessions, came more time spent together without the buffer or distraction of training. It felt nice to just hang out together, joking quietly down a quiet hallway while Cloud was supposed to be on patrol. 

_ “Hey, no worries. Nobody should cause trouble while I’m here anyway,” The dark haired first had reasoned as he leaned against the wall, smiling warmly at the pouting infantryman.  _

_ “Well I don’t have the luxury of slacking off, you know.” He joked, his mouth curving up into a little smile as Zack gasped overdramatically, clutching his hand to his chest.  _

_ “Me? Slacking? Never. I’m just talking to you, and that’s worth my time.” He beamed.  _

_ Cloud felt himself flush and looked away.  _

From there, Zack had stepped things up. 

One day, he’d tugged the cadet into an empty training room. Cloud had given him a confused look, furrowing his brow at the guys always unpredictable antics. 

_ “If you wanted to go for a round, you could have just said so,” The blonde raised an eyebrow when Zack simply grinned mischievously from ear to ear, leaning against the shut metal door of the room. He shrugged his shoulders.  _

_ “Nah, that isn’t what this is about. I have a surprise for you, actually.” He waggled his eyebrows teasingly. He strode with confidence over to the sword rack that lined the room's walls and pulled down a large iron bladed sword.  _

_ “Heads up!” he called before he tossed the hefty blade into Cloud’s hands.  _

_ He caught it with wide eyes, looking down at the heavy blade and looked up back at Zack.  _

_ “What.. What is…”  _

_ “Ah, ah! It’s my gift to you! And don’t you dare say you’ll pay me back or can’t accept it! You just need to promise to take me out for a round of drinks once you make SOLDIER.” He chuckled and put his hands on his hips.  _

_ Cloud stared down at the broadsword in his hands then back up at Zack. His expression softened around the edges. He gnawed at his lip. No one had ever gotten him such a nice gift before…  _

_ “Hey, don’t get all soft on me just yet! Show me what you can do with that thing! I thought it was just your style.” Zack laughed and withdrew his buster sword from his back.  _

_ “Alright! No holding back! Come and get it, Spike!”  _

_ Cloud did just that.  _

From there, things had only felt stranger between them. But not unpleasantly so. Warm glances and heartfelt, full belly laughs between deployments. It felt nice. The normalcy of their familiarity and the reassurance they would be there when the other got back. Something stable. 

Until it wasn’t necessarily the case. 

_ It had been rough. Probably not the kind of mission Shinra should have sent a third class SOLDIER and a bunch of grunts to take care of. More men were lost then was necessary and more resources wasted. Cloud didn’t necessarily feel the strain or exhaustion that mounted until he boarded the helicopter back to HQ. Then, the past few days events hit him like a truck. The usual motion sickness didn’t even compare to the illness that rattled around his gut. He saw so many men die. He even retained a few injuries himself, bruising and bite wounds from the wild monsters they were deployed to take care of. Nothing a few bandages and a potion couldn’t fix, anyway.  _

_ When they finally landed, he stumbled out of the helicopter with the other few grunts who had made it. He felt dazed and uncoordinated, not looking where he was going.  _

_ When he looked up from his boots, he saw him.  _

_ Zack stood at the edge of the helipad, his eyes wide and expression grave until their eyes met. Luminous blue mako eyes to hazy sky blue. Then he was in front of Cloud in a flash, his strong arms wrapping themselves around his smaller frame and pulling him close in a crushing embrace. He shook. Zack Fair, First Class SOLDIER, shook with fear as he pressed his face into Cloud’s dirtied blonde spikes.  _

_ “S..Shit… I thought… I heard… Thank Gaia….” He mumbled softly into the crown of his head. Cloud could have sworn he felt the gentle press of lips to his hair. _

_ “I thought you died, Cloud…”  _

_ Cloud blinked a few times before reaching up and slowly returned the embrace. His legs felt like jelly, like he would melt any second. He shook his head once.  _

_ “No… I’m here.” He mumbled back quietly and stumbled.  _

_ Zack caught him with one arm around the waist and helped him stay stable, pulling him firmly to his chest. He breathed out a heavy sigh of what must have been relief.  _

_ “... I was scared you didn’t make it.” He looked at him with the most genuinely worried but kind expression anyone had even given him. It made his heart stutter in his battered chest. _

_ Cloud gave him a tiny smile, exhausted and faint.  _

_ “Well, here I am.”  _

_ Zack cupped his bruised, dirty cheek and trailed his thumb along his prominent cheekbone. He smiled lightly, bumping his forehead to his. He didn’t give a damn what the other cadets, soldiers, or all of Shinra thought.  _

_ “I thought I was too late.” He said softly, looking Cloud directly in the eye.  _

_ “For what?” He asked back quietly, furrowing his brow.  _

_ “For this.” Zack held his cheek tenderly when he slotted their lips together, brief and chaste. Cloud stiffened for a second before he melted into the feeling and returned the kiss slowly. It felt like a long time coming. Soft but firm and an eternity but far too short.  _

_ When they pulled away, Cloud couldn’t help but laugh quietly, uncaring of the soreness in his bruised limbs. Zack could only smile down at him.  _

_ “What’s so funny?”  _

_ “That you waited until I almost died before kissing me, dumbass.” He snorted before wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him back to seal their lips together once again.  _

When all was said and done, Zack Fair had pretty much mastered all five love languages. Down to the letter. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> All feedback and comments appreciated!  
> Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
